Problems · NHTSA complaints

2000 BMW 5 Series problems

Owners filed 75 complaints about the 2000 BMW 5 Series with NHTSA between Jul 2000 and Oct 2024. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (18).

Complaints
75
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
6
Reported by owners
Injuries
8
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling18
  2. Air bags16
  3. Electrical system11
  4. Exterior lighting5
  5. Tires5
  6. Steering4
  7. Service brakes, hydraulic4
  8. Engine3
  9. Latches/locks/linkages3
  10. Seats2
  11. Electronic stability control (esc)2
  12. Fuel system, gasoline2
  13. Suspension1
  14. Service brakes, electric1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20005
20016
20024
20039
20045
20053
20064
20077
20085
20092
20105
20115
20122
20132
20141
20150
20160
20171
20183
20190
20202
20210
20220
20233
20241

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine and engine cooling

18 reports2 fires1 related recall
“The contact owned a 2000 BMW 528i. The contact stated that shortly after arriving home and with the vehicle parked in his garage, he observed first white smoke and then brown smoke emanating from the engine compartment. While waiting for emergency services, the contact stated that he then observed flames engulfing the engine compartment and heard a loud pop. As a result, the contact reported extensive smoke damage to the interior of the garage. The local fire department arrived and extinguished the fire, and a fire report was filed. A police report was also filed, and no injuries were reported. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic; instead, the contact has stored the vehicle at his home. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 120,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 2, 2023Engine and engine coolingFire reportedODI 11547795

Air bags

16 reports1 crash1 related recall
“Car had sat for about a week since I had driven it. I opened the driver door, inserted the key, and turned the key to the starting position. It failed to crank after the dash lights lit up and then the driver steering wheel airbag deployed in my face. The car was on flat ground and the temperature was not extremely hot or extremely cold. The previous several times I had driven the car there was no indication of an SRS light and the car started perfectly every time.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 20, 2023Air bagsODI 11539678

Electrical system

11 reports1 fire
“WIRING HARNESS IN LOOM AT CONNECTION BETWEEN BODY AND TRUNK LID IS SHOWING CRACKED WIRES WHICH CAN LEAD TO A VARIETY OF SYMPTOMS WHEN WIRES SHORT. TRUNK WILL ONLY OPEN MANUALLY WITH KEY. KEY FOB REMOTE AND INSIDE VEHICLE TRUNK RELEASE DO NOT WORK. TRUNK CANNOT BE OPENED WHEN DOORS ARE UNLOCKED USING TRUNK HANDLE. OTHER SYMPTOMS INCLUDE MANY FALSE DASHBOARD WARNING INDICATORS RANGING FROM LOW COOLANT, TRUNK LID NOT CLOSED, ETC. WIRING SHORT COULD BE FIRE HAZARD. MANY EXAMPLE CASES CAN BE FOUND HERE HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=397245. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 16, 2012Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Unknown or otherODI 10488935

Exterior lighting

5 reports2 fires1 related recall
“The audio suddenly stops and my turn signals also stop working. When this happens when I'm in traffic, this is very frightening because I cannot signal lane changes or turns. Turning off the ignition and restarting the car always fixes the turn signals but only sometimes fixes the audio. It usually takes several restarts before the audio works. When in the failed condition with no audio and no turn signals and the engine running, disconnecting the Dynavin D9 "ibus box" from the vehicle instantly fixes the turn signals but not the audio. It has not been reproduced or confirmed nor has it been inspected. There is never any warning before the problem appears. I have been in continuous contact with the manufacturer in California. They sent a new ibus box, hoping that would fix the problem but it did not.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 5, 2024Exterior lightingODI 11618240

Tires

5 reports
“NEW TIRES EAGLE F1 ASYMMETRIC BOUGHT AND INSTALLED IN MAY 2011 ( UNKNOWINGLY REC'D 2007 PRODUCTION TIRES ) AND THEN REMOVED MY TIRES FOR WINTER TIRES IN NOVEMBER 2011. WHEN REINSTALLING THE SUMMER TIRES THIS SPRING / APRIL 2012, MULTIPLE BUBBLES WERE APPARENT ON 3 OF THE TIRES AND THE 4TH TIRE HAD A BUBBLE AS WELL. WAS TOLD BY AN INDEPENDENT GOODYEAR TIRE VENDOR THAT THE BUBBLES RESEMBLED THE EFFECTS IMPACT DAMAGE. FURIOUS AND PUZZLED AS TO HOW THESE BUBBLES APPEARED AFTER HAVING SAT A WINTER INDOORS AND NO DAMAGE WAS APPARENT WHEN THE TIRES WERE REMOVED ( ON RIMS ) AT SEASON'S END. THE TIRES WERE DISMOUNTED AND REMOUNTED THIS SPRING. THE BUBBLES EMERGED AFTER REINFLATING THEM. HOW COULD THERE BE MULTIPLE IMPACT BUBBLES IN DIFFERENT SPOTS ( ALL ON OUTSIDE ) ON THE SAME TIRE AND ALL TIRES HAVE THESE BUBBLES? GOODYEAR IS TRYING TO AVOID RESPONSIBILITY AND ONLY WILLING TO GIVE A PERCENTAGE AS GOODWILL ! THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER HAD AN ISSUE OTHER THAN EARLY TIRE WEAR LET ALONE ALL FOUR TIRES WITH MULTIPLE BUBBLES ON 3 OF THE 4 TIRES ! BEING SHIPPED TIRES THAT WERE 4 YEARS OLD COULD NOT HAVE HELPED THIS SITUATION. VERY FRUSTRATED BY THE WHOLE DRAWN OUT…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 25, 2012TiresODI 10456501

Steering

4 reports1 related recall
“LUCKY I WAS STOPPED WHEN THIS OCCURRED. MY ENGINE MADE A TERRIBLE NOISE AND CUT OUT. I WENT TO RESTART MY ENGINE AND NOTICED THAT ALL MY INDICATOR LIGHTS WERE ON. I WENT TO DRIVE AND MY POWER STEERING WAS COMPLETELY SHOT. COME TO FIND OUT THAT MY POWER STEERING PUMP BROKE WITH NO REAL WARNING. IF I HAD BEEN AT A HIGH SPEED THIS COULD HAVE LEAD TO A SERIOUS INJURY. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 2, 2011SteeringODI 10438144
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.